The Trussell Trust, the Christian based charity which runs the majority of the UK's food banks says their use may continue to rise.

It's after research commissioned by the Trust and carried out by academics from Oxford University painted a grim picture of the future need for food bank provision.

Although the headline finding was that the researchers expected to see food bank usage rise, there were other aspects. One of the most disconcerting is that disabled people or those with chronic illnesses are disproportionately likely to be referred to a food bank.

'These are the same groups that have been – and continue to be – hit hardest by welfare reform, such as loss of disability entitlements, increased conditionality and sanctions, the benefit cap, and reductions in tax credits. Our observation that these groups are disproportionately needing help from food banks is unlikely to be coincidence,' said the report's lead author, Rachel Loopstra.

Other findings included that two in five users were waiting for benefit payments, and that most were also struggling to pay for rent, energy and toiletries as well as food.

'These findings serve to reinforce what we already know: poverty and hunger are real in the UK today,' said David McAuley, chief executive of the Trussell Trust.